Spring construction.



W. W. VINCENT.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION- APPLICATION FILED MAR.10.I9I6.

1,273,428. PatentedJuly 23,1918.

Jame/@25 w y-v i6 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. VINCENT, OF KENOSI-IA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE VIN CEN T-ALWARD COMPANY, or KENOSI-IA, WISCONSIN, A

CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM W. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

Among the objects of the present invention may be mentioned a better. support for the mattress or cushion resting on the spring structure, a prevention of the mattress or cushion from sagging or protruding downwardly into the upper coils of the up right spiral springs, the distribution of that portion of the load imposed on the supporting spiral springs to those parts of the latter associated with the adjacent springs by helical connecting springs, and the provision of means for preventing displacement of the latter springs, which means will at the same time act as the mattress or cushion support applied to the top coils of the main upright springs.

A further feature of the invention is the production of'an appliance of this general character which Will be simple in structure, economical to manufacture, pleasing in appearance, resilient in action, and effective to produce the desired results.

In order that those skilled in this art may have a full understanding of the invention, two desirable embodiments of the same have been illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description of such structures.

Throughout the various views in this drawing like reference characters refer to the same parts.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary face'or plan' view of a spring structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1,-

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the plates associated with the top coils of the supporting springs, and

Fig. 4: illustrates fragmentarily somewhat modified construction.

Referring first to the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it will be observed that the appliance includes a plurality of spiral in plan a 14,14, the perforated enc springs 10, 10, arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows and each provided, as is customary, with a top coil or ring 11. Each spring has a flat metal plate or equivalent device 12 associated with its top coil, that is to say, each plate 12 has four curved edges 13, 13, and four outstandin apertured arms portions 15 of which are bent downwardly over the top coil 11 and then inwardly as is clearly shown. The upper flat coil 11 of each spiral spring 10 is connected diagonally to the top coils of other springs 10 by four helical springs 16, 16, and 17, 17, each of such springs intersecting and passing through one of the similar connecting springs joining together two other of the upright spiral supporting springs. Stated differently, each of the springs 16 intersects a spring 17 and, conversely, each of the springs 17 intersects and extends through a spring 16. In this way, the top coils of all of the springs of the structure are diagonally connected together by these resilient horizontally-disposed helical springs, the hook-ends 18 of which engage the top coils 11 of the springs extending through the apertures of the ears of the plates 12. In this manner a spring. structure of unusual resiliency is secured, any local depression or weight on any particular part of the spring not being distributed to an undue extent to the adjacent springs as occurs in those structures employing what are known in the trade as looking or tie wires.

The plates 12 not only act as supports for those portions of the superposed mattress or cushion directly above the spiral springs, but they distribute the load imposed upon them to those parts of the top coils of the spiral springs which are directly associated with the connecting helical s rings, in this way acting as proper distri uters of the load, a portion of which, of course, is directly imposed by the mattress or cushion upon the top coils themselves. The arms of these plates, by being associated with the helical springs, also act to hold the latter in proper position and against displacement. In this way an effective and adequate support for the mattress or cushion is obtained, and such a distribution of the load is secured as to employ the resiliency of this structure as a whole to the best advantage. The exact manner of associating the legs able connection cation,

of the plates with the ends of the helical springs is more or less unimportant, and in Fig. 4 a somewhat modified structure is illustrated. In this case, each spiral spring 10 is provided with a fiat sheet-metal plate 20 substantially like the plates 12 with the exception that the arms or fingers 21, which are bent around the top coils are unapertured. In this modification, the spiral springs 17 and 16 extend the top coil 11 and encircle thearms 21 for some distance, in this Way securing a desirbetvveen the ends of the springs and the plate 20 whereby these instrumentalities may efiiciently perform the function specified above.

Although only two embodiments of this invention have been presented in this appliit is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of various other -embodi- 'nwardly beyond ments and that many minor mechanical changes may be made in the appliances set forth Without departure from the substance of the invention and Without the loss of any of its substantial benefits and advantages.

I claim:

In a spring-structure of the character described, the combination of a plurality of upright spiral-springs, helical-springs connecting together the top coils of saidspiral-springs, and a plate for each spiralspring overlying the space 1n such spring, said plate having a plurality of apertured ear's' bent down over the top coil of said spring, the hook-ends of said helical-springs vvhich connect them directly with the top coils of the spiral-springs being accommodated in said apertures, substantially as described.

WILLIAM W. VINCENT. 

